…Says Nigeria’s progress key to global stability
By Haruna Salami
Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautter Mignot, has Nigerian youth to take charge of nation’s future, stressing that the solution to the nation’s problems lies with the citizens.
He called on young Nigerians to take greater responsibility for shaping the country’s future, urging them to embrace innovation, inclusivity, and leadership in national development.
Speaking at a leadership Conference organised by the GOTNI Center in Abuja, Mignot described Nigeria as the EU’s most strategic partner on the continent, surpassing China and the United States in foreign investment and trade flows.
Speaking directly to young professionals and students at the conference in Abuja, the envoy delivered five key takeaways designed to inspire action and civic engagement.
First, he stressed that “Nigeria’s future lies in Nigerian hands”, noting that governance, education, and innovation will ultimately shape the country’s destiny more than any foreign assistance.
Second, he emphasized the need to empower women and girls, insisting that no nation can achieve its full potential without equal opportunities for all.
Third, the envoy urged the youth to confront disinformation, warning that fake news and online propaganda remain threats to democracy and development.
Fourth, he challenged Nigeria to lead, not just challenge, pointing out that the country’s size and influence demand a proactive role in shaping regional and global solutions.
Finally, he reminded young Nigerians that they can make a difference, describing them as the true drivers of tomorrow’s Nigeria.
Ambassador Mignot equally declared that Nigeria holds the key to shaping the future of Africa and influencing the stability of Europe, stressing that “our destinies are inseparably linked.”
He revealed that the EU accounts for 26 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign trade and one-third of its foreign direct investment stock, making Europe “Nigeria’s most reliable partner.”
The envoy highlighted a new phase in EU-Nigeria relations, pivoting from aid dependency to mutual investment under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
He listed EU Flagship projects to include, Renewable energy capacity to power 5 million homes by 2027, 90,000km of fibre optic rollout to boost Nigeria’s digital economy, Vaccine and pharmaceutical production hubs to strengthen health, security and Waterway transport systems in Lagos to ease urban congestion.
“These are practical, future-oriented projects designed with Nigerians, not just for Nigerians, they speak to sustainability, jobs, and dignity.”
In addition to economics, the ambassador called on Nigeria to embrace its role as a continental and global leader, urging its lawmakers to pass laws that expand women’s participation in politics and its youth to fight disinformation.
He said the world no longer needs Nigeria only as a challenger to traditional powers, “it needs Nigeria as a leader, on climate, on peace, and on democracy”.
Mignot argued that Europe cannot be secure if West Africa is unstable, noting that migration, insecurity, and climate change transcend borders.
“If things go wrong here, they go wrong for Europe too. That is why the EU will not walk away. We are here for the long haul,” he assured.
Obviously, his remarks are direct response to narratives of waning Western influence in West Africa and come as Russia and China deepen their footprint in the region.
See also Dangote Refinery makes case for 100% Nigerian crude …as Senate probes alleged sabotage in petroleum industry By Our Correspondent The Dangote Refinery has made passionate appeal to the Senate, NNPCL, NUPRC, NDMPRA and other stakeholders in the industry to help supply the refinery its crude oil need 100 per cent from Nigeria. Group Strategy Officer, Dangote Refinery, Aliyu Suleiman made the appeal at the Senate Ad-hoc Committee probing alleged economic sabotage in petroleum industry at the Senate Complex, Abuja on Wednesday. He said right now, the refinery bought about 50 million barrels of crude out of which about 60% comes from NNPC. Mr. Suleiman who expressed gratitude to NNPC for their support, added that, essentially, all they are asking is for them to get their crude requirement from Nigeria 100%. “Let's be very clear, we are happy to pay fair prices. We hope that we'll work with the regulator and we'll get their support so that the refinery can get 100% of its crude from Nigeria and buy the crude from companies that produce it in Nigeria not from international middlemen. “We count on support of the committee, the regulators and other stakeholders to ensure that the refinery succeeds, because if it does, aside from the other obvious benefits, like forex generation, job creation and the rest, most importantly, there is the psychological benefit of making, giving Nigerians, Africa in general, the confidence that we can succeed. Giving a progress update on the refinery, Mr. Suleiman said since the refinery started full trial production in January and then full time production started in March, we processed about 50 million barrels of crude. “We have produced about five million tons of petroleum products. And these petroleum products have been sold to various parts of the country and Jet oil has been sold in Europe since May. He said other products have been sent to places as far as Asia, US, Brazil, and so on. So the refinery has been making a lot of progress. He emphasized the importance of deliberately protecting local industries for the over all economic development of the country. According to him, “the US, for example, has done that, to protect their own industries against attack by China that subsidize their own industries and then sends them to the US. So that's the first question. We want to urge the committee to consider if we deserve protection against them”. He posed three basic questions that revolved around protection of local industries for the consideration of the committee and Nigerians at large. The questions are: “Do local refineries deserve protection from NUPRC? “Should Nigeria protect its infant industries in order to improve investment? “Should local refineries have preferential access to Nigerian crude? He said Dangote found itself competing against Russian products that were produced with oil that is valued at $60. “We all know that because of the cap that has been put Russian oil, the value of Russian oil today in the market is $60. And that's what Russia is using to produce their products and those products are being sent in large quantities into Africa to compete with products that are produced in refineries that buy crude at $90. “We don't think this will be a fair competitive environment and I think that when you have such unfair competition, it is normal to put protective measures. “I think even in the animal world, the moment a new baby is born, they don't just go and leave it out in the wild. “What we want is to sell more of our products in Nigeria, because we believe we can do that, we can compete. And even though there are concerns that have been expressed around monopoly, that is a problem that has been identified. The right thing to do is to say, how do we address this problem? If monopoly is a risk, how do we address this risk while at the same time ensuring that we protect our domestic industries? The good thing is that in the PIA, there are provisions around that, you can monitor and take action if you feel there's monopoly.
Concluding, Mignot said “partnership is a choice”. Nigeria must choose its partners with open eyes. Europe’s offer is clear: respect, reliability, and shared prosperity.”
